This post is part of the Inbox Reboot series:
Part 1: Why It Matters
Part 2: Keep It Clear
Part 3: Working the System
Part 4: The Magic of Filtering
Part 5: Filtering Beyond the Inbox
Part 6: Managing Multiple Email Addresses
When Your Inbox Gives You Vertigo
You know the feeling: you open your email and the unread counter just says “999+” because the program can’t count any higher. You scroll—and scroll—and scroll—only to see repeat subject lines from people who’ve pinged you three times because you never answered the first one. Maybe you’ve just come back from holiday, maybe a life-event set the world texting and emailing you, or maybe you simply haven’t wrangled your inbox in a while. Whatever the cause, you’ve got a big, sick-making inbox on your hands.
Normal rules don’t apply here. First we triage, then we go back to our calm, everyday system. Ready? Roll up your sleeves.
Step 1 – Draw a Line in the Sand
- Create one temporary folder inside your email program—call it “Backlog” or “The Pit” (my personal fave).
- Move every single email currently in your inbox into that folder. Empty inbox, achieved—at least for anything arriving from this moment forward.
- From now on, treat your actual inbox normally: filter, delete, file—whatever we’ve covered so far. New mail won’t drown in the chaos.
If you use a task manager (Outlook Tasks, ToDoist, Notion reminders, etc.), set a daily reminder: “Spend 15 minutes on Backlog.” Small bites.
Step 2 – Nuke the Easy Stuff
A. Purge your Sent items (last two months).
- Save anything mission-critical.
- Delete the rest.
B. Attack the Backlog folder in bulk.
- Sort by Sender.
- Highlight entire blocks of obvious junk, newsletters you no longer read, automated notifications, spam—then delete.
- For genuine correspondents who sent multiple follow-ups, keep only the latest message (it usually contains the thread) and delete the earlier ones.
- Sort by Subject.
- Group conversations from multiple senders. Bulk-delete finished or irrelevant threads.
These two passes alone can vaporise hundreds—sometimes thousands—of emails in minutes.
Step 3 – Intelligent Sifting
Switch back to date order so the oldest messages sit at the top. Then move fast:
- Glance at sender + subject. Can you delete without opening? Do it.
- Check the date. If the event passed or the offer expired, delete.
- Open only if necessary. If no action is required, delete.
- If the email needs action later, drag it into a new folder called “Respond/Act”. Don’t answer it now—just triage.
- If it belongs in your Notebook (Evernote, OneNote, Notion) or Task Manager, send/clip/forward it there immediately, then delete the original.
Keep marching until the Backlog folder is empty. Yes, empty.
Step 4 – Handle the ‘Respond/Act’ Pile
- Scan for anything truly urgent—an angry client, a time-sensitive request. Send a quick “I’m catching up, full reply coming soon” note.
- Anything you can answer in under two minutes? Answer and delete.
- Schedule daily sessions to clear the remaining messages until the folder is gone.
Step 5 – Breathe
You’ve slain the monster. Your inbox is back to manageable territory, and new mail flows through the filters and systems we built earlier in the series. Nice work!
Parting Thoughts
This wraps up Inbox Reboot. We’ve covered principles, tools, and habits—from “Empty Inbox, Always” to notebooks, tasks, filters, and now monster-slaying tactics.
A final word of wisdom: once you find a system that’s good enough, stick with it. Perfect is the enemy of done, and constantly switching apps will only recreate the chaos you escaped. Tweak, refine, but don’t overhaul unless the whole engine coughs smoke.
Now go enjoy that serene, low-number inbox—and maybe a well-earned cup of coffee.
Cheers,
Taylen